Bag for use in the shaping of liquid food products of stimulants, and a method and an apparatus for use in the production of the bag

ABSTRACT

A bag (1) for use in the shaping of liquid food products or stimulants consists of two plastics foils (2, 3), which are welded together in such an area of the two foils as will provide a plurality of interconnected mould cavities (4) with a common inlet (5). In the mould cavities (4) there are placed sticks (6) which are held in position by the positioning in a channel (8) having a length and cross-section corresponding to the holding part (7) of the stick (6). When the bag is filled with liquid ice cream or a similar material, the mould cavities (4) are distended three-dimensionally, and when the length of the sticks (6) is suitably dimensioned with respect to the length of the mould cavities (4), the sticks will be firmly &#34;fixed&#34; within the mould cavities (4). The sticks (6) are therefore placed in the middle of the ice lollies formed after freezing.

The invention relates to a bag for use in the shaping of liquid foodproducts or stimulants, e.g. by freezing, said bag consisting of twolayers of foil, preferably two plastic foils, which are partly weldedtogether or joined in another manner to form a plurality ofinterconnected mould cavities with a common inlet. The invention alsorelates to a method and an apparatus for use in the production of a bagaccording to the invention.

Bags of this type have been known for a long time and have been used forthe freezing of water or other liquid media to form so-called ice cubesin the mould cavities or pockets of the bag. The frozen product has beenremoved from the mould cavities of the bag by tearing of the usuallyrelatively thin plastic foils.

In case of certain food products or stimulants it is advantageous toembed a holding stick in the article.

The object of the invention is to allow such embedding of sticks with apre-determined podition in the mould cavities and thus the article bothbefore and during moulding.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a bag of the typestated in the opening paragraph in that sticks secured by the webs offoil are positioned in the mould cavities.

When the sticks are secured by the webs of foil it is possible to guidethe sticks in relation to the webs of foil so that the position of thestick in the moulded article can be determined in advance.

According to the invention, one end of the sticks may be slidablypositioned in a channel which is formed by the webs of foil and has across-section corresponding to the sticks.

This embodiment is particularly advantageous for sticks which are toprotrude a distance from the moulded article because the webs of foilcan then be placed tightly around the stick while allowing some movementthereof in relation to the mould cavity during the initial part of themoulding operation where the mould cavity is distendedthree-dimensionally.

In a preferred embodiment of a bag according to the invention the sticksare precisely so much shorter than the mould cavities that the free endedges of the sticks engage the inner mould defining faces of the mouldcavities when, after filling, these are distended.

This provides for a safe securing of the sticks during the mouldingoperation since the two free end edges of the sticks engage the moulddefining faces of the mould cavities in the dividing plane of the mouldcavity and are firmly "fixed" in the mould cavity with such a force thatthe pressure from the inflowing moulding mass does not damage thesticks.

According to the invention the mould cavities may have a narrowed areaaround the sticks between these free ends and the ends received in thechannels.

This likewise provides for a two-point fixing of the stick in relationto the mould cavity so that the said securing force is additionallyenhanced if the length of the stick is dimensioned as stated above withrespect to the length of the mould cavity, or alternatively it allowsembedding of a stick whose free end edge will be placed a distancewithin the moulded article.

In an embodiment which is preferred in practice, the stick is a holdingstick for ice lollies, and the bag is characterized in that the channelformed by the foils has a length corresponding to the free holding partof the holding stick. This enables the production of conventional icelollies with the holding part of the holding stick protruding from theice mass moulded around the stick.

In still another embodiment of a bag according to the invention wherethe stick is a holding stick for ice lollies, the holding part of thestick may, according to the invention, protrude from the mould cavity,and the two layers of foil may be welded together around the saidholding part.

This results in an even better securing of the holding stick in relationto the webs of foil or the layers of foil during the moulding operation,because outer holding means may be used for this purpose so that thewelding around the holding part of the stick is effected in a subsequentwelding operation.

As stated in the opening paragraph, the invention also relates to amethod for the production of a bag according to the invention. Themethod is characterized by comprising the following steps:

(a) placing the webs of foil above each other at a distancecorresponding at least to the thickness of the stick,

(b) moving the sticks in between the webs of foil and securing thempositively in relation to said webs,

(c) partially joining the webs of foil.

The positive securing of the sticks with respect to the webs of foilensures a well-defined positioning in the mould cavities, so that thesubsequent partial joining will result in bags with sticks positioned inthe desired manner in the mould cavities.

In a possible method according to the invention the sticks are securedat one end alone.

This enables the use of the tool serving to introduce the sticks tosecure the sticks during the partial joining of the webs of foil.

Finally, according to the invention a method may be used in which thesticks are secured by a downwardly directed pressure against the upperside of the sticks and with the upper layer of foil forming anintermediary layer.

This allows the use of holding means cooperating with the joining toolto secure the sticks during the subsequent joining operation where thetwo layers of foil can be joined in one operation.

In an embodiment of a method according to the invention which ispreferred in practice, the sticks are moved in between the webs of foiltransversely to the longitudinal direction of the webs.

This allows the use of an upwardly and downwardly moving joining tool incombination with a stick feeding assembly working at right angles tothis path of movement.

An apparatus according to the invention for use in the carrying out of amethod for the production of bags according to the invention comprises awelding station which is arranged to weld the two webs of foil togetherand consists of an upwardly and downwardly moving welding piston and anunderlying backing part, where the webs of foil are moved in below thewelding piston by separate feed rollers and away therefrom in a partlywelded state by means of common feed rollers for further treatment in apackaging station. The apparatus according to the invention ischaracterized by a stick supply unit disposed opposite the weldingstation and arranged to feed and release stick for each mould cavity ina pre-determined position therein, in response to the movements of thepiston. An apparatus constructed in this manner provides for simple andtherefore economical realization of the method proposed in the foregoingfor the production of bags according to the invention.

In a possible embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention, thepiston may be formed with recesses for resilient securing of protrudingholding means to secure the sticks prior to the welding and during thisoperation.

Thus, it is possible to use the provided welding tool also for securingthe sticks after their positioning in the mould cavities.

In still another embodiment of an apparatus according to the inventionthe stick supply unit has reciprocating arms which are arranged to carrythe sticks to the desired, pre-determined position between the foils andto secure the sticks therein during the welding operation.

In this apparatus it is possible to use the stick supply unit also forsecuring the sticks in the mould cavities in an operation for thewelding of the part of the webs of foil which is disposed outside thearea of the holding means. The area at the holding means can be weldedtogether in a subsequent welding operation when the holding means havebeen removed.

The invention will be explained more fully below with reference to thedrawing, in which

FIG. 1 shows a bag formed in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the bag of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of a bag according to the invention,

FIG. 4 shows articles produced by means of a bag according to theinvention,

FIG. 5 is a side view of an article of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 shows still another embodiment of a bag according to theinvention.

FIG. 7 shows an additional embodiment of a bag according to theinvention,

FIG. 8 shows an apparatus according to the invention, schematically andobliquely,

FIG. 9 shows a welding tool for the apparatus of FIG. 8,

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of an apparatus according to theinvention, and

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of a bag according to the invention.

The bag shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is generally designated by 1 and consistsof two relatively thin plastics foils 2, 3, which are welded together atthe hatched areas 11 in FIG. 1. The upper part of the bag is formed withtwo cuts or perforations 12 which extend from the rim of the bag to theinlet 5; the cuts or perforations 12 are torn after filling of the bagso that the flaps formed by this at the side of the inlet can be usedfor tying up the bag.

Sticks 6 are placed in the mould cavities, and these sticks have aholding part 7 slidably received in channels 8 formed by the two foils2, 3.

The sticks have such a length that the free end edge 9 engages the endwall of the mould cavity 4 when the moulding mass has penetrated downinto the mould cavities through the inlet 5 and thus has distended them.This will firmly fix the stick 6 between the end wall of the channel 8and the front boundary of the mould cavity 4 so that the stick 6 issecured in the dividing plane of the mould cavity during and after thefilling of the moulding mass.

FIG. 3 shows a possible embodiment of a bag according to the invention.This bag likewise consists of two webs of foil which are partly weldedtogether, differing from the bag of FIG. 1 primarily in the shape of themould cavities arranged to receive the moulding mass. Thus, between theends of the mould cavities there are provided narrowed areas 10 servingto improve the securing of the sticks 6 in the mould cavities during andafter the filling of the moulding mass.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, FIG. 4 shows two articlesproduced by means of a bag according to the invention, viz. ice lollieswith a holding part 7 protruding from the ice itself.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an ice lolly produced by means of a bagaccording to the invention.

The bag shown in FIG. 6 differs from the embodiments described in theforegoing in that the holding part 7 of the stick protrudes from themould cavities. This embodiment enables the use of combined supply andholding means, it being possible to place the holding means between thetwo webs of foil during the welding together of the webs of foil at thehatched area.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment corresponding to the one in FIG. 6, but inthis embodiment the two webs of foil are welded together uninterruptedlyin a band 13 at one side of the bag, said band corresponding to theholding parts. The holding part 7 of the sticks is thus fixed in a veryeffective manner as the band 13 provides a kind of blister packagearound the holding parts 7.

FIG. 8 of the drawing shows an apparatus for use in the production of abag according to the invention. As known in the art, the apparatusconsists of a set of feed rollers which, combined, are arranged to carrythe two foil layers 2 and 3 below a welding station 20 in such a mannerthat, prior to the welding together, the two foils are disposed with amutual spacing corresponding at least to the thickness of the sticks 6intended to be placed in the mould cavities of the bags. Opposite thewelding station 20 there is placed a stick supply unit 30 which isarranged to carry, by means of reciprocating arms 31, the sticks 6laterally below the welding station 20 and between the spaced webs offoil 2 and 3. After release of the sticks 6 the arms 31 are returned.

By means of the welding piston 21 shown on a larger scale in FIG. 9, andmore particularly the holding means 24 protruding elastically anddownwardly from these, the sticks 6 are pressed downwardly against thebacking part 22 cooperating with the welding piston 21, i.e. downwardlyagainst the foil layer 3 resting on the backing part, upon theengagement of the holding means 24 with the top side of the upper web offoil 2. Continued downward movement of the piston 21 causes the weldingtool to engage the backing part 22, and the welding together can beeffected in a manner known per se.

FIG. 10 shows an alternative apparatus for use in the carrying out of amethod according to the invention. This apparatus comprises an upwardlyand downwardly moving welding tool 40 constructed as a cylinder and alsoarranged to rotate about the cylinder axis. Between the two webs of foil2 and 3 the sticks 6 are moved from the stick supply unit 30 in betweenthe welding cylinder 40 and the backing part 41 cooperating with thecylinder, in the longitudinal direction of the webs of foil. During thewelding of the webs of foil 2 and 3 the sticks 6 are secured by theholding means 42 protruding radially from the welding cylinder. Infundamentally the same manner as in the apparatus shown in FIGS. 8 and9.

FIG. 11 shows a possible embodiment of a bag according to the invention.This bag is characterized by the dual inlet and the mirror symmetricalarrangement of the mould cavities 51. The sticks 52 are provided with anarrowed or weakened area 53 in the plane of symmetry of the bag. Likein the embodiments described in the foregoing paragraphs, the sticks aresecured by the webs of foil in channels formed therein at one end of themould cavities. In the use of the ice lollies produced by means of thebag of FIG. 11 the sticks are broken off around the weakened area 53 andthe enclosing foil is torn off.

I claim:
 1. A bag for use in the shaping of liquid food products, thefood products to be adhered to a plurality of sticks, comprising:atleast two layers of foil which are partly joined to form a plurality ofinterconnected mould cavities with a common inlet, said partly joinedlayers defining means for securing the sticks at a desired position inthe mould cavities.
 2. A bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stick isa holding stick for ice lollies, the stick having a holding partprotruding from the mould cavity, and the two layers of foil are weldedtogether around said holding part.
 3. A bag as claimed in claim 1wherein the bag has a channel which is formed by the layers of foil, forslidably receiving an end of one of the sticks, the channel having across-section corresponding to the sticks.
 4. A bag as claimed in claim3, wherein the mould cavities and the sticks are dimensioned such thatthe sticks are precisely so much shorter than the mould cavities thatfree end edges of the sticks engage inner said foil defining spaces ofthe mould cavities when the mould cavities are distended by filling. 5.A bag as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mould cavities have a narrowedarea around the sticks between free ends of the sticks and ends of thesticks received in the channels.
 6. A bag as claimed in claim 3, whereinthe food product is to be shaped as ice lollies having protrudingholding sticks, and the channel formed by the foils has a lengthcorresponding to a free holding part of the holding stick.